This anonymous interview is with a job hunter who is currently employed (even if part-time or in an unrelated field), has not been hired within the last two months, and has been looking for a new position for less than six months. This person is looking in academic and school libraries, at the following levels: requiring at least two years of experience.

This job hunter is in a city/town in the Midwestern US and is willing to move to a specific place.

What are the top three things you’re looking for in a job?

salary
low stress
ability to move up in the organization

Where do you look for open positions?

everywhere possible! Including general sites like indeed.com, higheredjobs, etc.

Do you expect to see salary range listed in a job ad?

√ No (even if I might think it *should* be)

What’s your routine for preparing an application packet? How much time do you spend on it?

Follow the instructions – time varies depending on the position.

Have you ever stretched the truth, exaggerated, or lied on your resume, or at some other point during the hiring process?

√ No

When would you like employers to contact you?

√ To tell me if I have or have not been selected to move on to the interview stage
√ To follow-up after an interview
√ Once the position has been filled, even if it’s not me

How do you prefer to communicate with potential employers?

√ Email

Which events during the interview/visit are most important to your assessment of the position (i.e. deciding if you want the job)?

What do you think employers should do to get the best candidates to apply?

List all the job details, including salary, benefits, and work hours. They probably get a lot of applicants that can’t take the job anyway because they can’t work the required hours, or who can’t accept the salary/benefits.

What should employers do to make the hiring process less painful?

List the required working hours and salary so that we don’t waste our time on applications for jobs that we can’t take even if offered.